I tried to remember the first Hot Wheels car I bought, but I can't remember. I think the First Edition Mazda Furai was one of the first, debuting in 2010. So, I must have been in and out of the hobby for 14 years.
I have only experienced brief periods of putting the pedal to the metal with collecting. This is due to lack of time, insufficient funds, focusing on other diecast manufacturers, and even constant moving.
I've probably bought over 2,000 Hot Wheels cars over the years, but I've also sold a lot of them to finance my own car. I'm down to about 400 models now, many replicas of Japanese vehicles. No wonder I'm so excited about the upcoming Hot Wheels Speed Graphics five-piece collectible set!
'99 Honda Civic Type R (EK9)
Photo: Historic diecast
The '99 Honda Civic Type R is undoubtedly one of the best castings Mattel has released in recent years. It was designed by Ryu Asada and we've already seen six variations, starting with the Championship White model. Someone was asking $380 for the Super Treasure Hunt version on eBay, but you can still get one for under $100.
Interestingly, some people will try to convince you that the red Target Exclusive Type R is worth $150, but I'm not entirely sure. However, I don't know a single collector in my area who owns one, so it must be rare to some extent. The Neon Speeders release wasn't bad at all, but if you want a premium feel, I'd suggest looking for the Boulevard version with the red interior!
The new Speed Graphics model looks fantastic, with a Falken Tires livery, and I can't find a single flaw here. The card art is fantastic; the Star 5-Spoke rims look almost Premium, and the car has detailed headlights and taillights! What more could you ask for? I'll add this to my list.
Classic Range Rover
Photo: Historic diecast
The Range Rover Classic is the first of two Speed Graphics Fusions designed by Dmitriy Shakhmatov. It debuted in the 2021 HW Hot Trucks miniseries with a racing livery featuring Michelin, Castrol, Eibach, Hot Wheels and Hella decals.
Mattel continued the theme for the next five iterations, alternating color schemes and sponsors visible on the car. Last year, the casting had a big moment when it joined the Premium Car Culture line with the HW Off-Road set alongside the 1993 Mercedes-Benz G-Class IWC Schaffhausen. It was the first and only iteration so far to use anything other than BAJA5 wheels, switching to a Real Riders 10-Spoke Beadlock design.
And it's nice to see Mattel sticking with that idea with the latest release, using Off-Road Steelies with Hot Wheels lettering on the sidewalls. Castrol takes center stage with a red, white, and green color scheme for this one. I'm more of a Motul/Idemitsu guy, but this Range Rover will still attract plenty of buyers when it hits the shops.
Porsche 914 Safari
Photo: Historic diecast
The entire tuning world seems to be focused on Honda's K-series when it comes to engine swaps. We can see a similar trend in building project cars or factory-spec models. “Safari the world” is the new way of doing things, allowing people to enjoy their vehicles regardless of location.
Mattel also has two other 914 castings to consider: the 914-6, which debuted in the 2012 Boulevard series, and a larger pull-back model that appeared earlier this year. The 914 Safari debuted in the 2020 Nightburnerz mini-series with a simple yellow finish and the same BAJA5 wheels we saw on the Range Rover when it first came out.
The GameStop exclusive release was pretty cool in blue, and we’ve only seen two variations since. The diecast manufacturer has produced 50 Legends Tour Special 914 Safaris, which sport a Mobil1 livery and Real Riders 10-spoke wheels. Owning one won’t be easy, and I think I spotted a potentially fake one for sale on eBay (it was asking $1,500). The newest variant uses orange and a mix of other colors, but what I love most is that it uses the 5-spoke Cast wheels that remind us of the iconic Porsche Fuchs rims. I’ll be adding this car to my list, too.
The Mazda RX-3
Photo: Historic diecast
You may remember recently seeing the Mazda RX-3, which appeared in the Hot Wheels Japan Historics 4 set. It is the oldest model in the new Speed Graphics mix and will soon celebrate its 10th anniversary.
We’re looking at the 12th iteration, so it might be a good time to start a collection around it. Six of these are Premium items, and there’s also the Super Treasure Hunt to consider. So they won’t exactly be cheap to get, but I imagine they’d look good on any shelf. While the C5 wheels are a reminder of Porsche’s history, they don’t look entirely out of place on the RX-3.
The Mothers livery doesn't take up too much space on the car, and I can think of one or two previous variations that aren't as nice as the Speed Graphics version. I think I'll buy this one too, even though I'm not as keen on it as I am on the Honda.
Great air Bel Air
Photo: Historic diecast
The final vehicle to appear in the new Speed Graphics set is the Big-Air Bel-Air. It’s Brendon Vetuskey’s “baby,” so it’s no surprise that it has something of a cult following among Hot Wheels collectors. Once again, the BAJA5 wheels were the go-to option for this casting, with 10 iterations going that route so far.
The 2021 Toy Fair version is the most coveted, but it’s tricky to make. You’ll see some insanely expensive listings on eBay, but I’m not sure if they’re legit or just custom units. The 2023 Car Culture Big-Air Bel-Air is the only Premium in the collection, and it looked bold with that two-tone finish.
As for the Speed Graphics version, it comes pretty close to offering the same levels of excitement. The red and white Eibach livery looks great against the black bodywork and I'm sure new collectors might be fooled into thinking those Off-Road Steelies are real racers, when they're not. I think I'll be buying the whole set; it's too good to ignore!
